Traitor
by Eilonnwy
Summary: What if Zuko let Katara heal his uncle at the end of "The Chase"?


**Title:** Traitor

**Rating:** PG

**Status:** Oneshot

**Characters:** Zuko, Aang, Katara, Iroh, Sokka, Toph, Azula

**Pairings:** None

**Genre:** Drama

**Summery:** What if Zuko let Katara heal his uncle after "The Chase"?

**Warnings:** None

**Spoilers:** The Chase

**A/N:** I think there are a lot of great "What if" moments in Avatar, in this is one of them. Unlike my other story, "The Way it Was Meant To Be", this is just a oneshot. I couldn't possibly start another long fic. XD But I hope you all liked it. And don't worry, my other fic will be updated very soon. Chapter 11 is with the Beta Reader right now. :D

**Disclaimer:** Not mine.

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Zuko stood in the hot sun, his breath heavy with exhaustion from the three way fight between the Avatar, Azula, and himself. Somehow in the confusion of battle he was standing next to the Avatar and his friends facing down Azula. If it was any normal day, Zuko would cringe at that fact. But it wasn't. This was Azula and she was trying to steal his one and only way to regain his honor and return home. He wasn't about to let that happen no matter what the cost, even if it meant temporally working with the Avatar.

"Well, look at this. Enemies and traitors all working together. I'm done. I know when I'm beaten. You got me. A princess surrenders with honor. " Azula said mockingly as she raised her hands in a gesture of surrender.

Inwardly Zuko cringed. _Traitor_. The word stung him deeply and tasted like bile in his mouth. He was not going to be bested by his sister, not this time. Zuko delved deeply within himself to pull every ounce of strength he had in his next fire blast but before he could do anything, Azula struck. Zuko's eyes widen in horror as a frighteningly familiar light burst from her fingertips and hit his uncle in the chest. Zuko heard someone screaming and then realized he was the one doing it. Without hesitation he let go of all his pent up energy at his sister but she disappeared out of sight and away from danger. It didn't matter though, his uncle was of utmost concern.

Zuko flung himself to his uncle's side. The smell of burnt flesh was in the air as he looked to see how badly he had been hit. In the moment he remembered the Avatar and his friends were behind him and all he could think of was that he just wanted them gone. "Get away from us!" Zuko screamed, wishing they would go so he could focus on helping his uncle.

"Zuko, I can help!" The female waterbender said in return with a tone of genuine concern.

It was the last thing he expected to hear. He was about to scream at her in anger but a whimper of pain from his uncle stopped him cold. Desperation washed over him as he realized he could lose his uncle. _No._ His uncle was the only one who had stood by him through the pain of his banishment. He was the only one in this world that he had. The thought that his uncle could die any moment was devastating. If this waterbender could do something to help--and he knew some waterbenders had healing abilities—how could he say no? His uncle meant the world to him.

Zuko solemnly back away, his voice low and pleading. "Please..."

Katara wasted no time and sank to her knees besides Iroh. Water flowed from her her container and surrounded her hands. In a few moments the water began to glow and that's when she placed her hands on Iroh's chest, just above the wound. Katara closed her eyes and Zuko could see she was concentrating as much as she could on healing the wound.

Zuko couldn't watch. Seeing his uncle in pain and the admission that he needed help was just too much. Without warning he stood up from the dirt road and walked wordlessly into one of the abandoned houses. He felt as if he couldn;t breathe and he clutched his fists, trying to regain his composure. Azula was right. If he was taking help from the enemy he _was _a traitor. However, the alternative was worse. If Uncle Iroh died, what would he do? He was such an idiot, leaving his uncle the way he had. He knew more than ever that he needed him. He was lost without his uncle—and so terribly alone.

"Hey," a voice called from the doorway. It was the Avatar.

Zuko suddenly realized that he had been crying and quickly wiped the single tear from his eye before turning to face him. "What do you want?"

"I'm sorry about you uncle," the young monk said sympathetically.

"I don't need your pity," Zuko responded with a note of defiance in his voice.

"I'm not pitying you," Aang replied calmly, "Your Uncle...at the North Pole he tried to protect the Moon Spirit."

"So?"

"He seems like a good man."

"Of course he is," Zuko replied gruffly. Why was the Avatar here trying talk to him? What was his purpose?

Aang nodded slowly and after a moment's silence he spoke again. "Why are you fighting with your sister?"

_Ah, that's the reason. _Zuko glared angrily at the boy. He didn't want to tell him anything of the long running feud between his sadistic sister and himself. "None of your business."

Aang frowned. "Does it have something to do with this?" Aang reached into his robe and pulled out a piece of parchment. He rolled it out to reveal the wanted posted of himself and his uncle.

Zuko felt his veins run cold at seeing the familiar wanted poster. Every time he saw those posted on an occupied cities walls he felt a deep sense of shame, and this time was no different. Zuko didn't respond. He couldn't. What was there to say? His country considered him a failure, a _traitor. _The last person he wanted to talk about it with was standing before him now.

"I found it in Omashu. Katara and Sokka don't know about it." Aang said after it was clear Zuko would say nothing. "Just like they don't know about what happened when Zhao captured me."

Zuko's frown deepened. The last thing he wanted to be reminded about was his failed attempt to capture the Avatar from Zhao. Especially since his failure resulted in helping Aang in the end.

"I don't think you're as bad as you pretend to be," Aang continued. "I think you have goodness in you like you uncle."

Who was this boy to make judgments about his life? "You don't know anything about me!"

Aang rolled up the parchment and placed it back in his robes. "No I don't."

"And it's going to stay that way."

Aang was silent as he regarded Zuko. The tension in the air was so thick, Zuko felt like he was suffocating.

"It's done," a female voice said from behind Aang. Zuko looked up to see the waterbender, looking a little tired. "Your uncle is going to be okay."

Zuko felt a small breath he did not realize that he was holding leave his lips. His uncle was going to be okay. Relief flooded his body.

"Good, then go," Zuko replied brusquely.

"What, not even a thank you?" Katara said with a tone of indignation in her voice.

"Be glad I'm going to let you go!" Zuko retorted angrily, his voice rising with his irritation. He knew deep down that he would never be able to capture the Avatar in this situation but he would be damned if he admitted it.

"Whatever," Katara replied, obviously annoyed with Zuko's tone. "Aang, let's go and leave this ungrateful jerk."

Aang hesitated and looked Zuko in the eye one last time. Zuko refused to meet him in the eye, and so with a sight the Avatar agreed with his friend. "Yeah, let's go."

Once they left the doorway Zuko immediately followed. He had to see his uncle and make sure he was really okay. He knelt down by his uncle's side and he could see that the mark where the lightning had struck already looked much better. His uncle was still unconscious, but it was peaceful sleep not painful. Behind him he could hear the Avatar and his friends climbing onto their sky bison. They were talking amongst themselves, but Zuko didn't pay attention. The only thing that mattered was that his uncle was going to be okay.

"Hey, Zuko," a voice called from behind him. He recognized it as that girl's idiot brother. Zuko turned around to see what he could possibly want.

"What's up with the hair?" Sokka said as he gestured meaningfully to his own head.

Zuko's eyes furrowed as he flung a fire blast at the insolent fool. Sokka jumped back with a yelp and managed to avoid the flame. "Yeesh! I was just asking." Sokka continued to mutter to himself indignantly as he climbed atop the bison. Once the group was aboard, including the mysterious Earth Kingdom girl who had said nothing the entire time, the bison roared loudly before slowly rising into the air and flying off.

Zuko watched them go, glad to be rid of the awkward situation. Once the were gone he turned back to his uncle and reached for his hand. He held on to it tightly as the old man slept calmly. Traitor or not, his uncle was going to be okay.

A small smile slowly appeared on Zuko's face.

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A/N – Hope you like it. The story was a little bittersweet for me since I recently lost my own uncle, who was very mush like a second father to me.

No Beta read for this so please let me know if you spot any mistakes.


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